Today's Completed Projects...

My friend, Amy, is celebrating her birthday this week and we're planning to get together for a belated birthday lunch today. She's a knitter who I met on a trip to the LYS in Sarasota five or six years ago. She is a former Wisconsin girl, too. That may be one of the reasons we really hit it off. I love her sense of humor, her level head, and she's a talented knitter. I always enjoy the time we spend together.

Because she's a knitter, I thought she might like a few handcrafted gifts. I made a Moda Sweet Treat Bag for her in nautical-themed fabrics. I used one of my starfish buttons to embellish the flap and then set about making a few goodies to put inside.

The photo on the right is a closeup of the cloisonne' button I used to spiff up the flap.

I made a little stitch counter that I saw on a Ravelry post last week. One of my online friends there created one for her swap partner. We had all been participating in a stitch marker swap, and we always add a few little extras to the package we send to our partner. I loved the idea of the stitch counter, so I decided to try my hand at making one myself. (Sorry I didn't take a photo of it before I wrapped her gift.)

Then, because I had so much fun making stitch markers for my swap partner, I decided to make a set for my friend. What do you think? Inspirational words, light blue beads and sterling silver sand dollars. I hope she likes them.

We'll be getting together after my much-needed haircut today to share a meal. I'm like a little kid - I can't wait to see her reaction! Happy Belated Birthday, Amy!

You can click here to go to the Moda website for your own Sweet Treat Bag. Just scroll down the free pattern images until you find it. You can always get to it from my "Free Patterns" link in my right sidebar. The photograph there is one of the other ones I made a while back. They're simple to make with a great "wow" factor. Really, you can whip one up in about an hour!